1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a mascara brush comprising a plurality of bristles held between two intertwisted wire sections.
2. Background Art
Mascara brushes of the generic type serve to transfer mascara from a reservoir to the eyelashes of the user. When the mascara is applied by means of the brushes, it is important for them to have an excellent transfer capacity on the one hand and sufficient combing and separating properties on the other.
For optimization and individualization of the properties of mascara brushes of the generic type, it is known to use a variety of bristle materials or mixtures of varying bristles. European Patent 0 717 944 teaches mascara brushes in which the core constituted by the intertwisted wire sections is bent to form a loop. U.S. Pat. No. 5,133.590 describes a mascara brush with fibers which can be split by a bonding agent being dissolved out.
DE 198 47 733 A1 discloses a brush in which, on the convex side of the core, the envelope curve of the tips of the bristles, in a longitudinal section, has approximately the shape of a section of an arc of a circle and in which, on the concave side of the core, it is approximately linear at least along a section line.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,812 describes a mascara brush in which the bristles are trimmed so that, seen in a cross section, they are asymmetric in such a way that the bristles on one side stand out less from the intertwisted wire sections than they do on the other and that, seen in a longitudinal section, the bristles are trimmed asymmetrically so that they have varying lengths.
A brush is known from DE 93 16 562 U, in which the core of the brush constituted by the intertwisted wire sections is again intertwisted itself for a cylindrical inner cavity to form.
It is an object of the invention to embody a mascara brush of the type mentioned at the outset so that in particular an optimal transfer capacity is achieved, accompanied with a good combing effect.
This object is attained by at least part of the bristles forming loops. In other words, in such a brush there is no free end standing out externally, but it is also clamped between the wire sections so that a looped and closed configuration is produced. Due to the adhesion of the mascara liquid, a film forms in these loops when the brush is pulled out of the reservoir, filling the loops virtually completely; this film only breaks when contacting the lashes during application so that a comparatively great amount of mascara liquid is dispensed.
Preferably it is provided that a part of the bristles are looped and another part conventionally stands out in the radial direction. These bristles which stand out radially and the rigidity of which can be regulated by selection of their length and diameter help attain an optimal combing effect, whereas the bristles of looped configuration provide for optimization of the transfer properties.
In keeping with a further development of this embodiment, provision can be made in the longitudinal direction for sections which have loops and sections with bristles standing out radially. It is then possible for the user for example first to touch the lashes by the section provided with loops for the application of mascara and then to proceed with combing by the section of radially extending bristles.
By advantage provision is made for the radial length of the loops to differ from the length of the radially extending bristles. For instance, the length of the bristles which stand out radially can exceed the length of the loops so that an optimal combing effect is produced.
In keeping with another embodiment, the loops themselves are intertwisted, forming for instance a figure-eight configuration, whereby the surface of the loops is virtually adjustable.
It can further be provided that the plane spanned by the loops varies in inclination relative to the longitudinal axis defined by the intertwisted wires.